Bristol RPZ scheme will change, says mayor George Ferguson

The scheme has met with a mixed response

Bristol's mayor has said controversial residents' parking zones (RPZ) have been "largely right" but said changes will be made.

There has been lots of positive feedback about the scheme, George Ferguson said, but added: "It would have been impossible to have got everything right at first go".

He wants a staged rollout of RPZs to reduce commuter parking in Bristol.

But some business owners said the scheme had damaged trade.

Tony Golledge, of The Mall Newsagents, Clifton, said he had lost £10,000 since March.

He said the new parking zones meant there was "no room for people to pull up and run in" and he had made "that painful decision to give up our business".

RPZs were introduced in Clifton in the face of much opposition in March. They also operate in Kingsdown, Cotham and central areas of the city.

A straw poll of 30 independent Clifton stores by BBC Bristol this week found half thought RPZs made no difference, seven welcomed the scheme, while eight said it had hurt business.

Mr Ferguson said while he was sorry for Mr Golledge's problems, he was "almost certain it is not to do with parking" - and said he had "lovely letters" in praise of the scheme.

He added: "We are monitoring it. We will change it. There are some things that are probably not right about it. It would have been impossible to have got everything exactly right first go but I thank all the people who have been involved in designing this scheme ... because I think largely, they have got it right."

He added that there were "hard conversations" ahead with South Gloucestershire Council about a park and ride scheme for north Bristol.